Prior art video game players are cartridge-based systems wherein individual games are stored on ROM chips within corresponding cartridges. Typical cartridge-based game systems include, for example, Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, etc. Each game can be played over and again simply by inserting the cartridge in the game player and following the required steps for start-up. These systems suffer, however, in that the cartridges are relatively expensive to make and have limited storage capability. Typical video games cartridges store files on the order of 1-3 megabytes.
In an effort to provide greater game selection at reduced cost, network providers have turned their attention toward the development of interactive data systems whereby video games may be transmitted to subscribers over existing cable networks. Prior art implementations of these systems broadcast game software electronically over coaxial cable plant as well as other broadband wireline and wireless networks. The games are received and stored on DRAM in a device which plugs into a subscriber's game player. Like the prior art cartridge-based systems, however, these network implementations are limited by the storage capability of the DRAM-based storage device which is on the order of 1-3 megabytes. Moreover, because the DRAM is volatile, video games can only be played while the system is powered. Once power is removed, the video game is lost.
A typical prior art network implementation of these DRAM-based systems is the Sega channel which delivers games of 3 megabytes or less. In operation, up to 50 games (totaling approximately 100 megabytes) are broadcast in a continuous stream over the cable network, in a broadcast pattern which repeats approximately every minute. The typical spectrum utilized is 6 MHz. The subscriber is provided with a menu of 50 games which change on a monthly basis and from which the subscriber selects the game he or she wishes to play. The selected game is then downloaded within approximately one minute of selection and stored in DRAM, and played by the subscriber.
While the prior art network implementation works well for the current generation of cartridge-based games, it is entirely ineffective in delivering next-generation CD-ROM-based games which are typically hundreds of megabytes in size (up to 650 megabytes). For example, if 50 next-generation games were sought to be delivered on a continuous basis, thousands of MHz of spectrum would be required. (In contrast, the most advanced cable networks have a total of only 750 MHz of spectrum). With existing hardware, download time would increase from approximately one minute to 5 hours or more and the device which connects to the game player and stores the games in the home would be required to incorporate over 600 megabytes of DRAM at a cost of tens of thousands of dollars. Download time could, of course, be decreased through the use of a high speed modem. To have any appreciable effect, however, such a modem would be required to transmit and receive data at a rate of several thousands of Mbps. The most advanced cable modems presently under commercial development, however, do not exceed 27 Mbps.
Even if these obstacles could be overcome, however, such an implementation would still be subject to the failings of the prior art network systems in that the game would be lost if power were turned off. Moreover, each video game manufacturer would be required to have its own unique device for downloading and storing the game.
In a further attempt to avoid the above-noted problems, designers have sought to utilize massive servers and processors at the cable head-end and use an upgraded broadband digital two-way cable plant to deliver games interactively. Such systems are commonly referred to in the art as virtual CD-ROM approaches. In operation, a small piece of a game is essentially moved from the server to a subscriber set-top box and as the subscriber moves through the game, signals are sent from the set-top box to the server and the next piece of the game is downloaded.
As is readily seen, this approach suffers from many problems as well. Namely, most households (on the order of 70,000,000) have access to a one-way cable plant only. Few consumers have access to two-way cable plants (far less than 10,000). Thus, the approach would require substantial upgrades to the cable plant, head-end equipment and consumer premises equipment costing thousands of dollars per subscriber (approximately $100,000,000.00 per head-end). Even if this feat could be accomplished, however, the existing two-way cable plant is far too slow to deliver the most popular games. As those skilled in the art will recognize, fast twitch action and sports games--which account for approximately 80% of the market--require round-trip latency of 100 milliseconds or less. The existing two-way cable systems, in contrast, have a round-trip latency which is many times that. Still further, each consumer must have access to dedicated bandwidth, greatly limiting the number of simultaneous users. Games would also be required to be significantly rewritten so as to be converted from CD-ROM delivery to electronic delivery. Such rewriting would cause software developers to incur many tens of thousands of dollars in cost and many months of coding and testing for each game title.
Consequently, a need has developed for an improved system and method for delivering video games and other software to network subscribers over a cable network. Such a system should permit fast transmission and easy low cost storage of large data files (on the order 600-650 megabytes) using downstream signaling only. Such a system should not require substantially greater bandwidth than that used by current DRAM-based systems. It should provide for multiple use of a downloaded software and should accommodate multiple application types such as games, shopping, news, etc. Multiple hardware platforms should also be supported as the secondary processor. These platforms should include SEGA, Saturn.TM., Sony Playstation.TM., 3DO, MacIntosh, PCs, etc. A catalog of multiple applications should be presented to the customer for potential downloading at scheduled times through a graphical user interface. The cost of the head-end and customer premise equipment should be commercially reasonable. Still further, no cable system network upgrades should be required. Such a system and method should also work with modem speeds that are reasonably attainable with current technology. Moreover, the software delivered should not require a high investment in recoding.